How Do I Know If My Period Is Coming
Some people get signs that their periods are coming like bloating, pimples, sore breasts, and feeling emotional. Many people get cramps in their belly, lower back, or legs before their period. These symptoms are called PMS. Not everybody has signs that their periods are about to start. And sometimes the signs change month-to-month. As you get older, it usually gets easier to tell when your period is coming.
Many people mark the days they have their period on their calendar or on an app. Keeping track of your periods will help you know when your next period is coming. It can also tell you if your period is late or early. Its really common to have periods that dont come at the exact same time every month especially when youre a teenager.
Keeping a tampon, period underwear, or a pad in your bag can help you be prepared for your period, no matter when it shows up. If you start your period and don’t have a tampon or pad, you can ask a parent, friend, teacher, or the school nurse for a tampon or a pad. Some bathrooms also have vending machines where you can buy a tampon or pad. If youre REALLY stuck somewhere without a tampon or pad, you can fold up a bunch of toilet paper or a clean sock or washcloth and put it in your underwear to soak up the blood.
As You Wait For Your First Period You May Have Lots Of Questions About What Will Happen What Will It Feel Like What Do I Need To Do To Prepare How Do I Use A Tampon
Getting your first period is an important milestone in a young womans life. It signals the beginning of a long phase of life that you may be fertile. This means that if you have sexual contact, you might get pregnant. While you may have learned about menstruation in school, you probably have questions about what to expect. This section is designed to provide you with all the information you need as you approach getting your period for the first time.
Explore Your First Period:
When Will I Get My First Period
There’s no way to know exactly when you’ll get your first period. One day, youll see blood in your underwear or on your sheets, and boom there it is! There may be signs of your first period , but this doesnt happen for everyone.
Most people get their first period between ages 12 and 15, but some people get theirs earlier or later than that. Your period might start around the time it did for other people youre related to, like your mom or sisters. If you don’t get your period by the time you’re 16, its a good idea to go to your doctor or a Planned Parenthood health center just to make sure everythings okay.
Its totally normal to be anxious or curious about getting your period, but try not to stress about it too much. Everyones body is different, so everyone starts their periods at different times. You never know when its going to show up, so carrying a tampon, period underwear, or a pad in your bag can help you feel more ready for when your first period comes.
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How Much Blood You’ll Lose
There is also a great range in how much blood flow each woman loses during her period. You may have a heavy flow and need to change your pad or tampon frequently. Or you may have a light flow with barely any blood loss.
Usually, your flow will be heaviest at the beginning of your period. It may start out light, get heavier, and then get lighter again until it’s over. It’s also common to see some small clots or pieces of tissue in your menstrual blood. Most women’s periods last from 3 to 7 days.
Putting The Pu In Puberty
A lot of teens notice that they have a new smell under their arms and elsewhere on their bodies when they enter puberty, and it’s not a pretty one. That smell is body odor, and everyone gets it. As you enter puberty, the puberty hormones affect glands in your skin, and the glands make chemicals that smell bad. These chemicals put the scent in adolescent!
So what can you do to feel less stinky? Well, keeping clean is a good way to lessen the smell. You might want to take a shower every day, either in the morning before school, or the night before. Using deodorant every day can help keep body odor in check, too.
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When To Ask For Help Or To Talk To A Doctor
Your first periods will bring a lot of new symptoms that you will not be used to, so it may be hard to tell if what youre experiencing is normal. While most common pains can be treated with painkillers, its good to remember that you don’t need to suffer in silence with severe pain, mood swings or heavy bleeding.
Contact your doctor or tell an adult you trust if you experience any of these symptoms:
- Severe pain
- Very heavy bleeding
- Very early period or late
- Extreme acne
- Severe depression and miserable feelings around your periods
If your symptoms are keeping you from going to school or participating in daily activities, your doctor will be able to help you find relief.
Having your period can take some getting used to, soon it will become second nature it will become! What’s more, your menstrual cycle is a pretty amazing process and can help you learn more about yourself.
Take comfort in knowing that millions of people have experienced their periods before you which means there are countless inventions that make this time of the month as carefree as possible
What If I Bleed Through My Clothes Are They Ruined
Not necessarily! Before we get into the nitty-gritty, know that leaks happen to everyone.
When you first start your period, youre learning about how much you bleed, how much your menstrual product can hold, and when your flow is heaviest.
If you can, keep a couple of stain wipes in your bag. They can help get the worst of the stain out and hold things over until youre able to clean the fabric properly.
You can also tie a jacket or sweatshirt around your waist to help cover the stain until youre able to change.
When you get home, try this method to get blood stains off:
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What Are The Signs My First Period Is Coming Soon
The best way to predict your first period is to notice the changes happening to your body during puberty. The body changes that predict your first period most accurately are your breasts, pubic hair, and height. Most periods start 1½ to 3 years after breasts first start growing, when the pubic hair has filled in, and about 6 months after your fastest growth in height. Obviously, that doesnât tell you the day, the week, or even the month it will start, so you will just have to accept that your first period will be a bit of a surprise. Thatâs why itâs so helpful to be prepared â just in case!
Comprehensive Explanation Of The Menstrual Cycle:
The menstrual cycle has three phases:
1. Follicular Phase
This phase of the menstrual cycle occurs from approximately day 1-14. Day 1 is the first day of bright red bleeding, and the end of this phase is marked by ovulation. While menstrual bleeding does happen in the early part of this phase, the ovaries are simultaneously preparing to ovulate again. The pituitary gland releases a hormone called FSH follicle stimulating hormone. This hormone causes several follicles to rise on the surface of the ovary. These fluid filled bumps each contain an egg. Eventually, one of these follicle becomes dominant and within it develops a single mature egg the other follicles shrink back. If more than one follicle reaches maturity, this can lead to twins or more. The maturing follicle produces the hormone estrogen, which increases over the follicular phase and peaks in the day or two prior to ovulation. The lining of the uterus becomes thicker and more enriched with blood in the second part of this phase , in response to increasing levels of estrogen. High levels of estrogen stimulate the production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone , which in turn stimulates the pituitary gland to secrete luteinizing hormone . On about day 12, surges in LH and FSH cause the egg to be released from the follicle. The surge in LH also causes a brief surge in testosterone, which increases sex drive, right at the most fertile time of the cycle.
2. Ovulatory Phase
3. Luteal Phase
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What To Do When You Get Your Period
Before you start getting periods it is good to be prepared for when it eventually comes. Hopefully you will have an opportunity to talk with your mother or sister or someone else in your family who can help you to prepare. Meanwhile here are some tips for when you do start bleeding.
- Use sanitary products like a pad, tampon or panty liner to absorb the bleeding. Pads and liners are longs strips of cotton that you stick to your underwear. Tampons are thin cylinders of dense cotton attached to a string that you put inside your vagina. Pads, liners and tampons come in different shapes and sizes but all of them need to be changed every four to six hours to stop leakage. You can use a tampon whenever you want, you don’t have to wait until you start having sex before a tampon will go in. It may be a little hard to get it in to begin with, but you will get used to it very quickly.
- Keep a period kit somewhere handy. This is because you might get your period unexpectedly or forget its due. Keeping some painkillers, sanitary products and a spare pair of underpants in your bag, at school or at work can be a lifesaver.
- Enjoy life as much as possible. Its safe and often possible to do all the things you would normally do. Its also okay to have sex when you have your period, but if youre using a tampon youll need to take it out first.
Related information
Signs Your Period Is About To Start
Physical changes that show you are entering puberty usually occur prior to beginning your period:
- Breast growth and tenderness
- Hair in the pubic area between the legs, as well as in the armpits
- Lower abdominal cramping, bloating or general discomfort
- White vaginal discharge
Certain experiences, like breast tenderness or cramping, may also appear again each month right before or during the week of your period.
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Am I Old Enough For Tampons
If you are having your menstrual period, your body is mature enough for using tampons. While many girls get their first periods between age 12 and 14, you may have your first period at a younger or older age. Whether to use tampons or not is a personal decision, there is no age restriction. You will need to learn how to insert a tampon, which can be tricky when you are new to using one.
You must be sure to change it every four to six hours to lessen the risk of toxic shock syndrome. Use the lowest absorbency available and start with those that have a smooth plastic applicator with a rounded tip . You may want to also use a pantyliner in case there is a leak. If you’re active or want to be able to swim during your period, then tampons may be a good choice. You can also consider different kinds of underwear for that time of the month.
When To Go To The Doctor
Some Medical Terms
A girl’s first menstruation is called menarche. This is pronounced MEN-arc or MEN-arc-y. When a girl passes certain milestones in her development, but does not start having periods, this is called Primary Amenorrhea. This is pronounced A-men-or-rea or Ah-men-or-rea. The word primary is the part that means the girl has never had a period. The amenorrhea part means lack of periods . This is to distinguish it from Secondary Amenorrhea, which is when a woman has had periods and then stops.
The Standards For Going To The Doctor
These standards were developed long ago. Meanwhile the average age of puberty and menarche has dropped. So, Estronaut’s opinion is that checking with a doctor a year or so earlier is not a bad idea. Also, girls of African descent mature sooner than Europeans, by about a year. So, these girls should substract another year.
On age alone: Age 15 1/2 to 16 1/2 for whites, age 14 1/2 to 15 1/2 for blacks.
If no breast or hair development: Age 13 to 14 for whites, age 12 to 13 for blacks.
If there is breast development or hair two years after either of these started.
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Are There Other Changes I Can Expect
- More sweat. Since sweat can cause body odour, it helps to take a bath or shower every day.
- Some girls develop acne . Washing your face in the morning and at night with regular, fragrance-free soap and water is important. If you do get pimples, acne lotions, creams and special soaps may help. If they dont work, talk to your doctor about other treatments.
- Attractions. Many people start to be romantically and sexually attracted to others during this time.